Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

of whomYassa for meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā notna does become stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
of thatTassa ifce, friendāvuso, of a mendicantbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā does it become stabilizedsaṇṭhāti, heso with thattena satisfiedattamano he ishoti.
at this point tooEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno much has been donebahukataṁ it ishoti.

But if, while recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful does become stabilized in them, they’re happy with that. At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

When a space is enclosed by sticks, creepers, grass, and mud it becomes known as a ‘building’. In the same way, when a space is enclosed by bones, sinews, flesh, and skin it becomes known as a ‘form’.

and the interiorAjjhattikañceva, reverendsāvuso, eyecakkhuṁ intactaparibhinnaṁ ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā notna into rangeāpāthaṁ comeāgacchanti, nono andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, nor yetneva so longtāva of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.
and the interiorAjjhattikañceva, reverendsāvuso, eyecakkhuṁ intactaparibhinnaṁ ishoti exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā into rangeāpāthaṁ comeāgacchanti, nono andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, nor yetneva so longtāva of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.
but whenYato andca indeedkho, reverendsāvuso, and the interiorajjhattikañceva eyecakkhuṁ intactaparibhinnaṁ ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca sightsrūpā into rangeāpāthaṁ comeāgacchanti, correspondingtajjo andca engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti. thusEvaṁ of correspondingtajjassa of type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.

Reverends, though the interior eye is intact, so long as exterior sights don’t come into range and there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. Though the interior eye is intact and exterior sights come into range, so long as there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. But when the interior eye is intact and exterior sights come into range and there is corresponding engagement, there is the manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness.

whichYaṁ of one who has become suchtathābhūtassa formrūpaṁ thattaṁ in the grasping aggregate of formrūpupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā of one who has become suchtathābhūtassa feelingvedanā thatsā in the grasping aggregate of feelingvedanupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā of one who has become suchtathābhūtassa perceptionsaññā thatsā in the grasping aggregate of perceptionsaññupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichye of one who has become suchtathābhūtassa choicessaṅkhārā thosete in the grasping aggregate of choicessaṅkhārupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ gogacchanti, whichyaṁ of one who has become suchtathābhūtassa consciousnessviññāṇaṁ thattaṁ in the grasping aggregate of consciousnessviññāṇupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati.
heSo thusevaṁ understandspajānāti:
thus indeed‘evañhi they saykira of theseimesaṁ of the fivepañcannaṁ of the grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhānaṁ inclusionsaṅgaho gathering togethersannipāto assimilationsamavāyo there ishoti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho and thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā:
whoever“yo dependent originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassati heso the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati;
whoeveryo the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati heso dependent originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassatī”ti.
dependently originatedPaṭiccasamuppannā indeedkho and thesepanime that isyadidaṁ the five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā.
thatYo in theseimesu in the fivepañcasu in the grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu desirechando clingingālayo attractionanunayo attachmentajjhosānaṁ thatso the origin of sufferingdukkhasamudayo.
thatYo in theseimesu in the fivepañcasu in the grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu giving up of desire and greedchandarāgavinayo getting rid of desire and greedchandarāgappahānaṁ, thatso the cessation of sufferingdukkhanirodho’ti.
even to this extentEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno much has been donebahukataṁ there ishoti.

The form produced in this way is included in the grasping aggregate of form. The feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness produced in this way are each included in the corresponding grasping aggregate. They understand: ‘So this is how there comes to be inclusion, gathering together, and assimilation into these five grasping aggregates. But the Buddha has said: “One who sees dependent origination sees the teaching. One who sees the teaching sees dependent origination.” And these five grasping aggregates are indeed dependently originated. The desire, clinging, attraction, and attachment for these five grasping aggregates is the origin of suffering. Giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.’ At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

and the internalAjjhattikañceva, friendāvuso, earsotaṁ unbrokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti …pe……pe…

Though the ear …

noseghānaṁ unbrokenaparibhinnaṁ ishoti ……

nose …

tonguejivhā unsplitaparibhinnā ishoti ……

tongue …

bodykāyo unbrokenaparibhinno ishoti ……

body …

mindmano intactaparibhinno ishoti, exteriorbāhirā andca ideasdhammā notna rangeāpāthaṁ come intoāgacchanti andno noca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro there ishoti, neverneva so long astāva correspondingtajjassa type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo there ishoti.

mind is intact internally, so long as exterior ideas don’t come into range and there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness.

internalAjjhattiko andceva, friendāvuso, mindmano not broken upaparibhinno ishoti, externalbāhirā andca phenomenadhammā into rangeāpāthaṁ comeāgacchanti, notno andca correspondingtajjo engagementsamannāhāro ishoti, not yetneva so fartāva of the correspondingtajjassa type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo ishoti.
whenYato andca indeedkho, friendāvuso, internalajjhattiko andceva mindmano not broken upaparibhinno ishoti, externalbāhirā andca phenomenadhammā into rangeāpāthaṁ comeāgacchanti, correspondingtajjo andca engagementsamannāhāro ishoti, thusevaṁ of the correspondingtajjassa type of consciousnessviññāṇabhāgassa manifestationpātubhāvo ishoti.
whichYaṁ of one thus becometathābhūtassa formrūpaṁ thattaṁ in the grasping aggregate of formrūpupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā of one thus becometathābhūtassa feelingvedanā thatsā in the grasping aggregate of feelingvedanupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichyā of one thus becometathābhūtassa perceptionsaññā thatsā in the grasping aggregate of perceptionsaññupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati, whichye of one thus becometathābhūtassa choicessaṅkhārā thosete in the grasping aggregate of choicessaṅkhārupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ gogacchanti, whichyaṁ of one thus becometathābhūtassa consciousnessviññāṇaṁ thattaṁ in the grasping aggregate of consciousnessviññāṇupādānakkhandhe inclusionsaṅgahaṁ goesgacchati.
heSo thusevaṁ understandspajānāti:
thus indeed‘evañhi it seemskira of theseimesaṁ of the fivepañcannaṁ grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhānaṁ inclusionsaṅgaho gathering togethersannipāto assimilationsamavāyo ishoti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho but thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā:

Though the mind is intact internally and exterior ideas come into range, so long as there’s no corresponding engagement, there’s no manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. But when the mind is intact internally and exterior ideas come into range and there is corresponding engagement, there is the manifestation of the corresponding type of consciousness. The form produced in this way is included in the grasping aggregate of form. The feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness produced in this way are each included in the corresponding grasping aggregate. They understand: ‘So this is how there comes to be inclusion, gathering together, and assimilation into these five grasping aggregates. But the Buddha has also said:

whoever“yo dependent originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassati heso the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati;
whoeveryo the teachingdhammaṁ seespassati heso dependent originationpaṭiccasamuppādaṁ seespassatī”ti.
dependently originatedPaṭiccasamuppannā indeedkho and thesepanime that isyadidaṁ the five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā.
theYo for theseimesu fivepañcasu grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu desirechando clingingālayo attractionanunayo attachmentajjhosānaṁ thisso the origin of sufferingdukkhasamudayo.
theYo for theseimesu fivepañcasu grasping aggregatesupādānakkhandhesu giving up desire and greedchandarāgavinayo getting rid of desire and greedchandarāgappahānaṁ thisso the cessation of sufferingdukkhanirodho’ti.
to this extentEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno much has been donebahukataṁ it ishotī”ti.
this is what saidIdamavoca venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto.
satisfiedAttamanā thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of venerableāyasmato Sāriputtasāriputtassa the wordsbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandunti.
The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s FootprintMahāhatthipadopamasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ eighthaṭṭhamaṁ.

“One who sees dependent origination sees the teaching. One who sees the teaching sees dependent origination.” And these five grasping aggregates are indeed dependently originated. The desire, clinging, attraction, and attachment for these five grasping aggregates is the origin of suffering. Giving up and getting rid of desire and greed for these five grasping aggregates is the cessation of suffering.’ At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.” That is what Venerable Sāriputta said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what Sāriputta said.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version